1979 70hp evinrude starter issues

[TinyTiffin]

Hello there

I have a 79 70HP evinrude that is having some starting issues. When starting it up from cold the starter will sometimes overheat and refuse to turn over anymore. But if it does manage to start then it will generally continue to start throughout the rest of the day while it is still warm, just initially the first start of the day will sometimes overheat it and I have to let it sit for an hour or two before i can try to turn it over again. Engine runs great once it is started.

Wondering if any of you know what the problem may be or how i can fix it, being somone with very little boat repair experience. And if it is a bigger problem then if you have an estimate of what it will cost at a real boat repair place that would be great.

Let me know if any more information is needed and thanks in advance.


Tanner

[jbjennings]

If it were me, I'd remove and clean all my connections to the starter and starter solenoid. If the problem persists, you tested the battery and it was good, and the starter was old, I'd probably just buy a new starter and install it myself. It's incredibly easy, and would pay for itself since you wouldn't have to pay for shop labor costs.
JBJ

[TinyTiffin]

Alrighty ill give it a try. Where abouts is the starter located though???

[jbjennings]

TinyTiffin,
Welcome to iboats! You've got a '79 model motor. Since it's that old, you'd be doing yourself a favor to buy an OEM service manual for your exact motor--not haynes or seloc, and use it to do your own repairs. The starter is a cylindrical object about the size of 2 stacked soup cans. It has a gear on top of it that engages the flywheel and spins it. Not meaning to be a smartaleck, but if you can't identify the starter, you really need a manual. It will keep you from breaking stuff and causing more problems. Changing a starter is a really easy job, but any service can result in a disaster if you go into it totally not knowing what you're doing.
BTW, low battery voltage could be the problem, as well as bad connections. Check them first, before you buy a new starter.
Good luck,
JBJ